Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-05-20

fore published failed to bring out the sig
nificant fact that it was a year or so after
the teaning in 1884 that Rufus Rising got
stands, it takes up the mares history and
carries it forward from the very point
where Mr.. Leland lays it down. At an
other interview Mr.. Rising says he is
quite sure he saw the mare there before
his fathers death, which was in 1897.
As to the identity of the mare after
Rising got her there can be no question.
Aside from the testimony of Hoyt john
son and wife and j. B. Rising, there is
that of Curtis Balloon, who states thai
Rufus Rising sold her to Geo. johnson at
his (Balcom's) place. John 4. Pinchin
thinks he remembers her in Johnson's
hands. Ira Potter writes: ''Hufus Ris-
ing sold the gray mare to Geo. johnson
= George johnson sold her to War
ner Cook; drove her when both owned
her." W. c.. Baldwin says he has heard
Rufus Rising say that the mare was got
in Vermont.
As to the mares age. this could make
her 10 when Ethan was foaled. JuStus
b.. Rising said she was a young mare
when his Uncle Rufus had her. AFRO NJ.
Bailey thought she was in her prime in
1Sll-2. and thought she was not over 10
or 20 when she died. John \. Pinchin.
who ''shod her from time to time.
Thinks Ehn N+nE nnt nrn t1l ot.n,
years old when Cook got her. IIovt
Johnson thinks that when his brother
George bought her of Rising She was
seven or eight years old. This was prob
ably in 1897, as Rising got her in the sum-
mer of 1885 and bred a colt from her. 1t
does not certainly appear whether this
foal was dropped in 1896 or 1887. Hoyt
Johnson thinks Rising had the mare only
about a year; j. b. Rising's testimony
would indicate that he kept her longer:
but it is not material, as it is plain that
between Rising and johnson the mare
was owned from the summer of 1880 to
the summer of 1S3S.
Mr.. Leland states that he traded the
mare to Mr.. Rising for Il gray gelding.
Ira Potter writes to \. W. Thomson con-
corning Il gray that Reuben Potter. his
brother, sold to Rufus Rising about 1880:
"The horse that Reuben Potter sold to
Rufus Rising was a gray gelding."
Taken throughout, the case exhibits
the harmony which characterizes truth.
We shall want to know more about his
Red Robin, son of Woodbury. Morgan"
and the "Bemis mare" parents of this
now famous gray mare. If one might
indulge the luxury of theoriZing a little
after so many cold facts, | would say
that the excellent results of this union,
the handsomeSt and pure>t-gaited trot-
ter that ever stood on iron. illustrates
the value of kindred blood to follow an
Outcro>s. The elegant black son of Sher-
man Morgan coupled with II granddaugh-
ter of Woodbury. Morgan, produces Eth
an Allen. Had these facts been known.
instead of the widespread belief in the
very poor Freeman Messenger guess,
what an effect it would have had upon
horSe-breeding in this section. The stout
and plentiful Woodbury. mares would
have been sought to couple with trotting
stations in the hope of producing an
other Ethan. instead of the scattering
and doubtful scions of the stock of Free
man Messengers; and the chances for
more Ethan Aliens would have been vast
1t .,--l ..l A.. IL =
would not have shone,as it has done, with
the stolen lustre of this chief among the
Morgan jewels.
One result of this otherwise happy ter
termination of a long hunt is painful,
however. 1t will deprive US of the
amusement we have so long enjoyed of
seeing my friend, \. W. Thomson, pull
down and build up the pedigree of Ethan
ALLEN on his sire's side, by the color of
the colts of w. II. Balcom's old mare
and it will be a heavy blow to that harm
less reasoner thus to find his innocent oc-
cupation gone. But perhaps he will start
anew. Find out the color of the Bemis
mare, Bro. Thomson. throw in the iron
gray colt bred by Rufus Rising and pro-
coed to analyze. Your results will
doubtless be as valuable as before.
Seriously speaking, this discovery of
the dam of Ethan Allen in the family of
Woodbury. Morgan goes far to account
for a certain resemblance to that branch
of the Morgan family in Ethan Allen,
which has led some enthusiastic admirers
of the Woodburys to claim him As a son
of Flying Morgan, which horse was
probably inbred to that line. But the
evidence of the books of Black Hawk is
conclusive, and shows Ethan Allen to
have been the product of the union of
these two great branches of the Morgan
family.
Two circumstance combined TO mis-